The Properties of Life
by Aly Teima
Summary: The weeks following Plunder and Lightning; there is still a lot that Kit and Baloo have to learn about each other and how better than in the mixed up world of cargo delivery?
1. Default Chapter

"The Properties of Life"  
  
Plot synopsis- this story takes place directly after Plunder and Lightning. Life's changing for all of the main characters, none more so than Kit and Baloo. Wildcat and Louie are attempting to adjust to the new addition to Baloo's life, his navigator. Kit is dealing with his first frustrations with finally having to really answer to someone and is feeling the pinch on his old freedoms, but is still surprised by the relative comfort of his new life. Baloo is dealing with the stress of having to take care of someone else. Rebecca and Molly are adjusting to life in Cape Suzette after Winger City and have found their new apartment. Then, on an important mission to the Island of Pinasta, the Sea Duck is attacked and crashes in the surrounding Sea of Lascal- (It took me forever to think of some of these names), where the on-gong Civil War on the island is about to life much more difficult for the pilot and navigator of the famous sea-plane. Consider it a jumping off point for the series and the many different adventures these characters will have.  
  
Timeline- July 7, 1936  
  
The Sea Duck's engines hummed with new life. Looking at the plane, one could never tell that it had been the main instrument in putting a stop to Karnage and his pirates when they had invaded the city nearly three weeks ago. Kit had had a difficult time convincing Baloo that he was the only pilot capable of taking out Karnage's lightning gun and Ms. Cunningham- Kit didn't know if he would ever be comfortable calling her Rebecca, certainly not Becky as Baloo did- had assured the pilot and newly restored navigator of the plane that rubber and electricity don't mix. But when the plane had been totalled on a wild ride through the Iron Vulture, Ms. Cunningham had paid the price of returning the now historic sea-plane back to it's original model. She had even managed to something more difficult than that, convince Baloo to be her pilot.  
  
Kit chuckled, remembering that first flight with the plane. *That was some _great_ cloudsurfing* Thinking of his favorite pastime, the boy smiled and heard a now familiar voice break through his reverie.  
  
"Man, Lil' Britches, it's like she just got out of the factory, smooth, what a great plane."  
  
Kit rolled his eyes, "That's because it _did_ just come out of the factory, remember Baloo?" The gray bear didn't seem to hear him.  
  
"Yeah, kiddo, never thought 'ol Baloo'd be flying this baby again, they can work miracles nowadays. Still don't have a lot of my personal modifications, though, guess there'll be plenty 'o time for that later." Baloo lovingly patted the console like Kit had seen him do nearly a hundred times before.  
  
"But still no overdrive, huh, Papa Bear?" the cub asked without really thinking. It had been a sketchy explanation at best as to how Baloo had appeared out of nowhere to grab him as Karnage had gleefully dropped him to his death. Rebecca and more so, Molly had told him how the three had escaped from Pirate Island and the high speed modification on the engines.  
  
"Yup, kid, had it when I needed it though." the bear looked over at his navigator with an odd expression on his face. He still really hadn't gotten used to someone else being there. Especially not an 11-year old cub- 12 soon!, Kit reminded him daily- who showed remarkable abilities in almost any area he applied himself to.  
  
Baloo often found himself wondering at the strange partnership. Kit acted so much older than most _adults_ that it was often hard to remember that he was just a kid. *An independent one at that* the bear thought ruefully. Kit didn't complain, wasnt' demanding and wasn't obvious about anything personal, and so, he was about the opposite of any kid Baloo had ever been around. *That's what caught my eye, he's different. Nah, more 'n that, he's special.*  
  
Looking over, Kit saw Baloo staring at him. "What?" he asked suddenly. "Nothin', just thinking, that's all. How far to Cape Suzette partner?"  
  
Kit smiled, it was nice to have someone who not only called him by name, but by several nicknames as well. "'Bout an hour, not far. Say Baloo, how about letting me take the board out, thanks!" Kit finished without letting Baloo say anything and grabbed the foil out from beneath his sweater. He began to head to the cargo hold when he felt himself being picked up and sat back down in his seat.  
  
"Just a minute, Kit." "Look, I don't know much about that thing and..." Baloo began.  
  
"Come on, Baloo! It's safe, I _have_ done it before." Kit tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice but he wasn't used to having to supply explanations to anyone, usually he was the pesky kid everyone either ignored or told to buzz off. But the large bear not only liked to hear explanations, he seemed to expect them. Baloo seemed to think of Kit as a new part of the Sea Duck, and Baloo never let anything happen to his plane. At least that's what Kit thought about Baloo's concern.  
  
"Yeah, I know you've done it before, kid. Who'da think was flying when you were out there?" "But this isn't yer old board, it it trustworthy?"  
  
"I've used it before Baloo, don't you think I know how to build one?"  
  
"I don't know kid, I didn't know anyone knew how to build one." "Besides, I thought about heading to Louie's, we got time."  
  
Kit scowled at Baloo, something in him knew that Louie's was just the pilot's excuse for ending an upcoming argument. "Baloo, this is me, remember?" "I've been doing this a long time before I met you!" Kit said in a last-ditch effort to get some use out of the board.  
  
"Well, when you're in my plane and when you're my navigator, what I say, _goes_!" Baloo sounded irritated, which he was, at himself for sounding and thinking like a ....well, parent, and because he knew the argument was about to ensue.  
  
Kit was now definitely more than a little angry. Baloo sounded pretty serious and the boy wasn't sure he liked being told what to do. "I don't get it Baloo, why are you getting on my case now? My airfoil is safe, I did a good job building it and I know what I'm doing....quit treating me like a little kid."  
  
"You're 11 Kit, I know, I know, 12 soon," the bear said when he saw that Kit was about to interrupt, "and sure, you don't act like a kid, but I'm not so sure that's a good thing. In my book, 11 means that once in a while you've gotta trust my judgement."  
  
"What about my judgement? Here Papa Bear, take a look at it, it's fine." Kit made an effort to calm down, mainly because in the three weeks he had known Baloo, he didn't like quarreling with him. The pilot took the crescent-shaped board and looked at it dubiously. He then flicked it open and shut a few times, patted it, looked at it from the side, back and front then repeated the process before handing it back to a very impatient Kit.  
  
"See, it's fine now...." Kit stopped when he saw Louie's place on the horizon and gritted his teeth in frustration.  
  
"Sorry Kit-boy, looks like we're here." Baloo said sounding happy and a little....relieved? "Next time you can have a go at it." The pilot said to the cub who was fingering the board.  
  
"Yeah, sure Papa Bear, next time," and was silent as the Sea Duck docked.  
  
*Amazing* Kit thought, *he always seems to get twice as much energy whenever we get here* and smiled as the large bear bounded out of the plane and helped his navigator down, then both walked in.  
  
"Hey, 'ol buddy, came by to see your pal Louie, huh?" came a colorful voice from behind the bar.  
  
"Hey Louie, yeah, new job ya know, haven't been able to come by as often, how's business?" the bear looked around.  
  
"See for yourself," the red ape motioned an arm to the near-empty room, "empty one day, full the next, kinda like your finances, heh Baloo?"  
  
"Mostly empty buddy, but just wait...pretty soon."  
  
"Yeah, sure cuz, howya doing shortstop?" Louie asked Kit who had stood quietly to the side feeling a little out of place during the good-natured bantering.  
  
"Uh...fine, thanks....Louie." Kit had to stop himself from adding a Sir to the orangutan's name. He still didn't know the bartender very well, but being Baloo's friend and a pretty friendly adult, the boy included him into his ever widening circle of friends.  
  
"Glad to hear it, Kit." "By the way, just 'cause you're hanging out with 'ol fuzzy here, don't pick up any of his bad habits, like an unpaid tab?" here Louie looked pointedly at Baloo who was fidgeting uncomfortably. Kit laughed and had a seat next to the big pilot.  
  
"So, how is that new job, Ms. What's-her-name treating you two alright?"  
  
"Cunningham," Kit said as Baloo said "Becky" at the same time.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. She working you boys like a pair of pack mules, what's the scoop?"  
  
Kit was about to explain that their new boss was actually pretty likeable when Baloo started in on a long tirade about the agony he had suffered under Rebecca. Halfway through Baloo's bluster Louie winked at Kit and flipped him a key.  
  
While Baloo was still complaining, (and showing no sign of stopping), Louie leaned over to whisper to the cub. "Fuzzy here told me how hung up you are on airplanes. Got me something special in one of my rooms, go ahead and take a look, I'll have to tell you about it some other time. Second floor, Sixth door on the right." and the ape leaned back over to nod sympathetically to the bear's tale of woe.  
  
Kit was a little touched, first that Baloo had mentioned his all-time passion to Louie and second, because the ape had taken the time to single him out. A warm feeling spread in his chest as he walked up the stairs holding the key. Baloo had stopped complaining and watched Kit ascend the staircase.  
  
"I tell ya Louie, sometimes I don't know what I'm doing here."  
  
"Whatcha mean, Baloo?" Louie asked, surprised. "Man, I thought you and the kid was gettin' along just fine."  
  
"Well, we do, most of the time, but it's like what happened earlier, before we got here." Baloo explained about the small fight he and Kit had had in the plane. "Kid sure is stubborn, an' I feel like I don't know nothin' bout him most of the time." "Don't get me wrong, I really care about him, but...." Baloo stopped here.  
  
"Yeah, go on, I'm listenin'"  
  
"Well, what happened to his folks?" "What if all of a sudden he decides to up and leave again, he's done it with other places, what's stopping him here?" "I tell ya, buddy, don't know how I ever got so attached so fast but I don't think I could handle it if he left, of it something happened to him." "He's still just a kid and I feel sort of responsible for him, trouble is, he won't open up, and he just does what he wants." "Don't get the wrong idea, he's a good kid, but he's done everything by himself for so long, he doesn't think about asking about something, and I really can't say much about it, or try to stop him." "It's as if, maybe, if I push him too far, he'll just move on."  
  
Throughout this long speech, several emotions had crossed Louie's face; concern, surprise, worry, but when the bear stopped talking, his friend just looked thoughtful. "I don't know what to tell you, Baloo." "I don't really know a lot about shortstop there and I ain't promising a solution to your problems. But Baloo, that kid thinks the world of you, you haven't known each other for very long but this old ape hasn't seen anything like the way you two connected." "Besides, can't spend all your time worrying?"  
  
"Man, four weeks ago I thought you had to be the luckiest so-and-so in Cape Suzette, but I sure wouldn't trade places with ya now, cuz!"  
  
Here Louie laughed uproariously while Baloo just looked at him and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Just wait, Louie, your time's coming, then I'm guessing I'll have the last laugh."  
  
"Well," the bartender said, wiping him eyes, "the kid looks better now than when he first came crashing through those doors."  
  
"Yeah," Baloo smiled at the memory. "He's put on more weight, couldn't convince him to give up that old sweater though. I would at least like him to wear something newer, and that patch makes him look like he don't have a place to call home."  
  
"He'll grow out of it, you watch, Baloo." "Kid's that age grow like the jungle on this island, you blink and it's caught up to you." Both friends stopped when they saw the subject of their discussion descending the stairs two steps at a time.  
  
"You wouldn't believe the stuff he's got in there, Baloo!" "Old flying manuals, autographs, even stuff from the Great War!" the cub said excitedly breathing hard.  
  
Both Louie and Baloo grinned at the boy's enthusiasism. "Well, guess we'd better pull chocks, Lil' Britches, be seeing ya, inn-keeper." Baloo started to walkout, Kit on his heels.  
  
"Glad you liked that shortstop, guess I'll seeing you two later. Don't want Ms. Cumbersome blowing her top, huh?"  
  
"Cunningham!" was the last thing Kit said before walking out to the Sea Duck with Baloo.  
  
Near late afternoon, they arrived at Higher for Hire with ,surprisingly, some time to spare. The city of Cape Suzette was just getting on it's feet again after the vicious attack weeks ago. The re-building as already well under way, with the first things to be put back into place being the necessary defensive cliff guns.  
  
Rebecca was putting some tape on the last boxes which contained the possessions she and Molly had brought with them while looking for an apartment. She had found one a few days before, it had been difficult with many buildings destroyed by the pirates. Kit hadn't seen it but from Molly's glum expression he drew the conclusion that it was _nice_, meaning expensive and not the place for a six year old to run wild.  
  
They were going to spend their first night there tonight, but Molly wasn't going quietly. She followed her mother around begging to stay at Higher for Hire one more night, much to the amusement of the pilot and navigator of the Sea Duck.  
  
Kit was feeling some unexplained pangs when he thought about the fact that Ms. Cunningham and her daughter wouldn't be staying there anymore. *It won't be the same* the boy thought. It was nice having them altogether, especially with what the group had gone through the first week that they had known each other. *Like, a family* Kit shifted his feet thinking about the closeness they had felt, even taking into account Baloo's resistance. Kit wasn't sure, but felt that the other three had taken their time together for granted, but the cub had never had any similar experiences to compare it to, so the expression on his young face was mixed.  
  
He laughed at Molly's carrying-on, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Mommy, it's nice here!!" the little girl tried again, "Lucy doesn't want to move _again_" with emphasis on the last word and with tears welling up in her brown eyes for effect.  
  
"Molly, I told you, that's enough," Rebecca had reached the end of her patience. Balancing looking for a new apartment, getting her business started in the current economy and dealing with her daughter was too much for the efficient lady.  
  
"Baloo, would you give me a hand with these last boxes? The taxi's here."  
  
"Sure, Beckers." Baloo easily picked up three packages, then took the other two from the faltering Rebecca and walked outside.  
  
Rebecca blinked, then smiled. *Sometimes he can be such a gentleman. Can't let on that I'm getting soft, though* she thought with an inward smile. She turned around to see Molly being comforted by Kit.  
  
"See Molly, you can come and visit anytime and I'll go over there to check up on you. Besides, I heard that there's a waterfall by your window, neat, huh?" "And," he added quickly when the little girl's face threatened to make a waterfall of it's own, "uh...Danger Woman!....yeah, uh, Danger Woman needs to move to a new location! Think of it as going undercover, ok?" then the boy gave the little girl a tight hug. "Cheer up button-nose, you're gonna love this." Molly hugged him back.  
  
Rebecca, still standing in the doorframe, felt her heart melt at the touching scene. Kit had to be one of the most considerate young men she had ever met. Molly adored him and Rebecca knew that she herself was having a hard time leaving the earnest young navigator. He never asked or openly showed it, but she knew how starved he was for love and affection. *Well* she thought with a touch of happiness and ....something else touching her, *now he has us, we can make up for lost time, I hope* Caring for Kit was probably the easiest and the most worthwhile thing she had accomplished since coming here.  
  
She heard Baloo softly clearing his throat behind her and saw him taking off his hat when she turned around which tipped her off that he'd had just seen, and more importantly, felt the same thing she did.  
  
The two cubs walked over to the adults and Kit took off his baseball cap. "Take care, Ms. Cunningham, guess I'll be seeing you in the morning," Kit mumbled suddenly very interested in a crack in the floor.  
  
Rebecca felt her throat tighten and impusively gave the boy a hug. "Right Kit, get a good night's rest and I'll be here bright and early.." they both heard Baloo groan," to start things rolling." She finished giving the pilot a scowl. Then she turned back to Kit, they looked at each other, she lightly brushed his hair out of his face, gave him a small smile and stepped outside and into the cab.  
  
Baloo was desperately trying to disengage the howling Molly from the doorframe and put her in the cab with her mom. "Come on...ah!.....muffin, you don't want.....ouch! don't be doin'....umph! Kit! give me a hand here!" Baloo, finally appealed to the boy. Gently Kit pulled on Molly's small fingers until she finally released her iron grip, then he handed her doll to her and walked inside, a pained expression on his face he didn't want them to see.  
  
"Bye, Baloo." Molly said tearfully.  
  
"Bye for now, cupcake," the large bear said quietly, "come visit 'ol Baloo anytime." Then he gave Molly to Rebecca, shut the taxi's door and watched as the two drove off.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Rebecca was as good as her word the next morning and since it was still summer, Kit accompanied Baloo on a 8:15 a.m. flight to Spango-Bango. It had been decided by both Baloo and Rebecca that Kit would start sixth grade in the fall.  
  
Thinking that far into the future used to a pastime that Baloo avoided, but thinking of Kit still being in the navigator's seat come fall was something that made him strangely happy.  
  
The two arrived at the small city hours later. Spango-Bango was located on a plateau and was known for it's dense surrounding forests. It was also known to pilots by it's tricky wind currents. Pilots made sure their planes were in tip-top shape before attempting the plateau's hazards, even ace pilots like Baloo. Any kind of engine trouble and the Sea Duck would do a swan dive right into the outlying forests surrounding the boom town, and Baloo certainly knew that land was much less forgiving than water. However, the bear had been here a few times, although he didn't like the shady atmosphere that prevailed throughout the location.  
  
A town with everything vested in mining, with hundreds of men desperately looking for work and quite a lot of bootlegging and gangster problems occuring about a decade ago, was a recipe for churning out unsavory individuals and businesses. The large pilot had never been here with Kit, as well.  
  
Baloo looked over at the boy who was watching the dock workers unload the cargo and nearly told him to stay close to him, then stopped himself, remembering Kit's comment about treating him like a little kid and thinking that the cub had been in worse spots, but without him. Sighing and shaking his head, Baloo motioned to Kit.  
  
"Come on, Lil' Britches, got to check in with," he stopped to squint at the paper he was holding," Rastan Lumber Inc."  
  
"Sure Baloo, you know, I've never been here," Kit remarked off-handedly as they walked down the crowded streets.  
  
"Yeah, basic boom town. I doubt it'll be here in 10 years, too much mining means no more profits, then this place'll dry up faster than a drop on a skillet." As they continued to walk something caught Kit's eye. Located next to the post office was a small building that had several old, battered guns and helmets on display. Kit recognized their origin and stopped to stare interestedly.  
  
Baloo, already ahead, looked back and called his name. Snapping back with the sound of Baloo's voice he jogged to catch up and they both turned the corner, Kit checking his bearings so he would remember to come back.  
  
Baloo had been haggling with the burly-looking otter for some time. Only half of Ms. Cunningham's order was there to ship back to a waiting client in Cape Suzette and Baloo's argument was that he was _not_ going to take the heat for their mistake.  
  
Kit, sitting on a chair against the wall had long since grown fidgety and kept thinking of that display. The more he thought about it's contents, the more he wanted to see it. His mind elsewhere, the boy began retracing his steps out the door, back down the street and to the place of destination.  
  
Inside was dusty, but filled to the brink with old photos, some artillery, basically any kind of memoribilia from the Great War, twenty years ago one could imagine. Ever since seeing pieces of Louie's collection, Kit's interest in the well-known conflict had grown. He had almost been tempted to ask Baloo if he had fought overseas, but for some unknown reason, decided against it.  
  
"Can I help you, son?" came a raspy voice behind the dark counter. Kit jumped not realizing someone had been there.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I was just curious and...."  
  
The voice chuckled and the navigator could see it's owner step out, an old koala who had a cane and was visibly feeble and shaky. "No trouble son, came to see what I got here in me collection, eh?" Kit could now hear a faint accent in the voice.  
  
"Where did you get all of this stuff.....sir." Kit asked, his eyes taking in the various pieces of history that could probably tell quite a story if allowed.  
  
Again, the koala chuckled, "Well, my boy, you don't serve with Her Majesty's army for 'bout four years, beginnin' to end and not come away with a bit o' junk, eh?" He now had Kit's attention.  
  
"You served for four years in the war?"  
  
"Sure, from the Marse, to the great defensive at Vernun, to the offensive at the Solme." "Seen me a bit o' action in me younger days." The koala looked at the boy sharply. "You like learnin' about this stuff, son?"  
  
"For the moment," the cub said nonchalantly prompting another chuckle. "Can I take a look around?"  
  
"Sure thing." the koala slowly made his way over to an interesting looking gun. "Want to hear the story about this lovely?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.  
  
Kit walked over to him and the old koala pointed out many other items, telling a different story with each one and losing track of the time as they covered nearly the entire, crowded room.  
  
"What's this one?" Kit pointed to a picture of four dirty, grinning young soldiers. "One of them looks like you."  
  
The koala's eyes grew sad, "Yep, that's three of me mates from school. Thought we'd have an adventure, real punch-up with the Almenians, you've heard the stories." Kit nodded. "I remember it, minor battle to the experts, I'd wager, but going over the top weren't easy." "It was Courcelette, first wave took two of them, but me and me best mate, Chester, tha's him, grinning fit to kill." he motioned at one figure.  
  
Kit, by now, had sat down and was oblivious to the growing darkness.  
  
"Yeah, him an' me were holed up, pinned you could say, in a pit made by one of those Howitzers, nasty piece that." Again he motioned to a shell fragment on the opposite wall, Kit was still all ears. "Well, he says,- Alec-, tha's me for sure, -Alec- this is it, our last chapter. Chester was always sayin' rot like that, and I sez, - Clam up you fool!, those bastards don't need any help from you!- and then I smelled the acidy odor. I had my mask on before me brain knew what the problem was. It was just, danger! Look out!, I weren't about to end up like those poor sums-bitches I heard about, coughing up on themselves, not able to breath through that filth."  
  
"Gas, son!" Alec snapped at Kit's blank look, "but poor Chester, he grabbed for his mask and put it on, but boy, mask's no good with a bloody crack in it! He died spitting up heaven knows what and alls I could do was watch him." The room was eerily quiet as the old koala waded through memories best forgotten.  
  
Kit felt sympathy. All of the war stories he'd heard weren't like this. Where was the glory, the conquest? At 11, even after what he had seen, the boy had a little idealism in him, but the koala's hard, matter-of- factness was something new to the cub.  
  
"Well son, guess I've chewed your ear off, you didn't come here to hear me sniffling." Alec's sharp eyes seemed to glaze over as he tucked those four years back into the private places of his mind.  
  
"Actually Mr....," Kit stopped when he realized he didn't even know the koala's last name. "Sedgwick"  
  
"Actually Mr. Sedgwick, I think this is exactly what I came in here for," the boy said quietly showing a disturbing amount of understanding on his face.  
  
Suddenly, an unsettling emotion hit Kit, twisting his stomach as his mind remembered something important he had forgotten. "Baloo!"  
  
"Excuse me, son?" Alec turned to the boy.  
  
"Mr. Sedgwick, thanks for everything, but I really need to head out."  
  
"Sure thing, son, time to be closing up for me too." "You got somewhere to be?"  
  
Kit groaned inwardly. He had forgotten to tell Baloo where he was going! And it had been hours now, he might miss his ride back to Cape Suzette!  
  
"Thanks again, Mr. Sedgwick, I appreciate your showing all of this to me," and Kit was running out of the door.  
  
"Anytime, son," the koala said softly, still staring at the photograph, "Anytime"  
  
When Kit arrived back at Raston Lumber, Inc. the building was dark and all of the doors were locked. *Rats!* the boy thought, not relishing the thought of having to spend the night in this cold place if Baloo was already gone. He then headed back to where the Sea Duck had landed.  
  
When he was in sight of the sea-plane but still quite a ways away, he stopped in surprise. Not only was the Duck still there, but flashing red and blue lights indicated two local police cars there as well.  
  
Kit's stomach was now in his heels as he made his way to the plane. Baloo was standing by the cargo hold and was twisting his cap in his hands talking to an officer while another officer was on his radio. Kit's sharp ears picked up a description of himself being radioed out as he approached Baloo from behind.  
  
"Yeah," the large bear was saying, "one minute he was there, then _poof_ he had disappeared! I scoured the streets but I'm just one guy, how much ground could I cover?" "Look," the bear had genuine fear in his voice, "I don't have a lot in the way of money, so a ransom's no good if he's been....kidnapped." The pilot seemed to have trouble saying the word. "But I'll do whatever I have to."  
  
Kit was stunned, not only had no one ever bothered to check up on him wherever he had gone, certainly no one had acted like this. Kit plucked up his courage. "Hey, Baloo," the cub said sheepishly.  
  
Baloo whirled around to stare incredously at his navigator. "Well, that was easy," the one officer said to his partner, "guess we're done here." Baloo didn't seem to notice when they left.  
  
Kit was wincing, expecting the gray bear to start screaming about how much trouble he'd cost him and how late they were going to be getting back. Instead, the boy found himself in a large hug from the pilot. Both were silent as Baloo held the boy tightly, visibly showing his relief. He didn't release Kit until a few minutes later, then he stood eye to eye with the cub, places his paws on Kit's shoulders and looked him over as if to reassure himself that the boy was here and in one piece. Then he hugged the cub again. Kit was more than slightly surprised.  
  
"Um....Baloo, I'm sorry...are you okay?" Kit looked at his friend who was wiping his forehead.  
  
"Kit," Baloo said with uncharacteristic seriousness, "I'm only gonna say this once, when we're in a strange place or any place for that matter, you stick close or at least tell me if you're gonna run off! Do you know how bad you scared me? One minute my navigator's there and when I blink, you're gone! I didn't know what happened or if you'd been hurt..." Baloo stopped.  
  
Kit felt strange and was pretty sure it showed on his face. The bear was sure acting funny, Kit didn't know what to make of it, but he felt guilty for causing the pilot such a hassle. In spite of himself, the boy felt a deep emotion relatively unfamiliar spread through him. *He was worried about me, he'd would have had the entire police force out looking.*  
  
The expression of concern marked by the deep shadow caused by worry on the big bear's face made Kit feel really....strange, almost good, like he was wanted, no, even needed by the pilot.  
  
Baloo gently manuevered the still pondering cub towards the cockpit, boosted him up, then walked around to climb into the pilot's seat. There was an awkward tension in the air as Baloo tried to find the right words to use for really chewing the kid out, without sounding too parentish. Unfortunately, words like, responsibility, maturity and consideration kept popping into his head.  
  
Kit was looking at him strangely, still. Baloo sighed and said, "Ok, kid, from the top. Just tell me where you were at."  
  
So, Kit explained about the store, Alec Sedgwick and the story he had heard.  
  
"I can understand all that, Lil' Britches, next time, just _tell_ me, got it?"  
  
"Well, Baloo, I would have been back sooner, but I went to the lumber building first"  
  
"Why didn't you just come back to the Duck, Kit-boy? That's where I'da been."  
  
"I wasn't sure it would still be here, and...." Here Baloo interrupted,  
  
"What?, course it would be here, whadya think, I was just gonna pull up stakes and leave you here?"  
  
Kit didn't respond but the expression on his face made it obvious. Baloo now gave vent to all of the pent-up feelings of frustration and helplessness he'd been feeling for hours, in the form of anger.  
  
"Kit, do we gotta have this conversation again? What you did today was not only thoughtless, but selfish, too! You could have at least told me that you were gonna run off like that, given me some warning! Instead, you just waltz away like everything you do won't matter later on and not have a thought in your head that someone else could be worried sick! Spango- Bango, or anywhere else if you get right down to it, is no place for a kid to be running off! You're a smart boy, Kit, but I wonder if you have any sense of self-preservation, sometimes!"  
  
Kit now felt a touch of anger besides his shame. His cheeks were flaming and his temper mounted at Baloo's lecture, mostly because of how bad he felt at causing the big bear to worry. The boy wondered if he would ever get used to asking someone beforehand, maybe never. He was in the habit of doing things for himself.  
  
"I didn't _waltz_ off Baloo, I said I was sorry, ok!" "Don't you think you're making a big deal out of this? I'm not used to begging to go anywhere and even if I had asked, you'd probably had said no! I'm your navigator, that's it. You really don't have any right to tell me off or to give me orders. We're partners, that's all! And as for my _self- preservation_, Baloo, if I didn't have any, you'd never have met me!" The boy ended, his voice up to a shout, and with that ugly truth finally brought to light. It was one of the first times Kit had talked about his difficult past, willingly  
  
Baloo immediately felt saddened because he knew Kit was right on almost every count, he didn't have any right to lecture and order. He didn't even have the right to worry. All the rights he had were those that Kit gave him and if the boy decided that a line was drawn at the pilot-navigator symbiosis, then Baloo really couldn't overstep that and try to protect someone who didn't want to be protected.  
  
The bear cleared his throat self-consciously and Kit, who'd been staring out of the window, turned to look at him. "Um...Kit, look, I didn't mean to jump down yer throat. It's forgotten, ok? Water under the bridge."  
  
Kit smiled, "Sure Papa Bear, sorry I was yelling...and sorry again...for...you know."  
  
Both bears smiled at each other and the flight back to Cape Suzette occurred with small talk between the two, but not much else. Both, however, knew things were unresolved and the problems of each still hung between them, creating an invisible barrier. 


	2. Chapter two Fun in an Island Paradise

Rebecca was at her usual spot behind her desk working away at some documents, but her mind was a million miles away. Although Rebecca hadn't known her two...no- she corrected herself- make that three employees very long, she knew that something was wrong. Ever since Baloo and Kit had come back from Spango-Bango two days ago, Baloo had been moping.  
  
Knowing she'd have a better chance getting an honest answer out of Kit, she had taken him aside and asked him. All the boy said was the two had had a fight and then had shifted his feet uncomfortably.  
  
Rebecca frowned, remembering, and looked up from her desk as Baloo walked in, Kit was still outside she assumed, and flopped down in the easy chair.  
  
"Baloo, we have an important run tomorrow, I want you and Kit geared and ready."  
  
"Huh?" obviously the bear hadn't been listening, "Oh sure, Becky, spit- shined and looking fine....tomorrow."  
  
"Baloo!" Rebecca said sharply drawing his full attention to her. She sighed, straightened up some papers and walked over to face the pilot.  
  
"Pinasta Island? Sea of Lascal? Dangerous mission? Is any of this ringing a bell with you?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Baloo slapped his forehead, "better make sure Wildcat has the engines in tip-top shape."  
  
*He certainly sounds excited* Rebecca thought sarcastically. "Baloo, I don't mean to pry," the bear looked at her suspiciously, "but is everything alright? Between you and Kit, I mean, you've been so quiet around each other, and Kit mentioned something about a fight."  
  
"He's my navigator, Rebecca," Baloo said flatly. "We talk when we need to, he tells me which way to go and I fly where he says, end of story." Baloo got up to leave.  
  
"Wait just a minute, buster!" Rebecca stopped him in his tracks. "You may be able to fool some people, but you can't fool me. I know how you feel about that boy. He isn't just your navigator, you care about him." Rebecca looked at the large bear trying to get him to respond.  
  
"Then I'm settin' myself up for a world of hurt, we don't know if that kid will one day just decide to up and go or decide to do something that'll cause him to get hurt, and I can't stop him! Besides, who do you think you are, lady? You're overstepping your bounds, you're my boss, I'm your pilot." "You're not his mother and I'm sure not his father!"  
  
Rebecca stood very still, stunned by Baloo's harsh words and the terrible expression of pain on his face. He had hit a very sensitive spot with her and it was with great difficulty that she regained her composure.  
  
"You're right, Baloo," she said after a moment of silence, "but that doesn't mean that I can't love him. That's what love is, it's hard, sometimes impossible and you always run the risk of being hurt, but you do it anyway. Even though it means going through hell if something happens to the boy, it just can't be helped. You just go on and keep loving him, regardless."  
  
Baloo looked at her, the light of comprehension beginning to show. "Besides Baloo, regardless of what you think, I don't believe Kit is going anywhere. Do you know how much he looks up to you? I know you really can't tell, but you're like his support, he leans to you. It's just...this is all so new to him, give it time, Baloo. He needs to adjust, then who knows? But don't spend all your time worrying about something that may or may not happen." With that, Rebecca walked back to her desk, feeling that she needed to sit down.  
  
Baloo shot one more remark in his boss's direction as he walked out the door. "This sure ain't an easy way to do things, is it Beckers? How did we get roped into this?"  
  
"I don't know Baloo," Rebecca said laughing," but isn't it great?" The two shared a look of understanding before the bear walked out.  
  
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He had known him for nearly a month, but for Kit to try and comprehend about anything Baloo's mechanic, Wildcat said was nearly impossible, even for someone as versatile as him. Still, he found himself liking the lion. Most of the things he said sounded incredibly odd, but he was always open and honest. The mechanic just acted like himself with everybody and never asked for anything but an engine to tinker with. The lion, in fact, seemed to have set up his own kind of bond with the bear cub, almost like a brother. Although who was supposed to be the older and who was supposed to be the younger Kit was still trying to decipher.  
  
The boy was in Wildcat's shed and was looking slightly ill at ease with the various....things scattered everywhere. "It's okay, Wildcat" the boy said, "if you're busy with something, I can come back later," then winced as he heard a loud crash from the back.  
  
"Nah, man, I found it!" Wildcat emerged and held up a pretty sorry excuse for a hammer. "Delilah can fix even the sickest engine....'specially when it starts going put..put....crash!!" He flopped to the floor of the shed in a fit of coughing and pretended agony.  
  
"Um....great Wildcat, but it's my airfoil that needs to be looked at, it's been sticking a bit when I try to flick it open." With quite a bit of apprehension Kit handed the board over. "See" he demonstrated the problem.  
  
Calmly the lion took the airfoil and began a frenzy of pounding and other ear-deafening noises. Kit, not being able to bear watching, closed his eyes and waited for the racket to subside.  
  
"Good as ever, Kit" With remarkable speed the mechanic finished and handed the board back to the boy.  
  
"Thanks, Wildcat!" Kit looked at the lion, a smile lighting up his face.  
  
"Sure, man. I mean, can't call it cloud-surfing without a board. It wouldn't be surfing. What would you call it?"  
  
"Wildcat, I think there are more important problems to worry about." Kit said, trying not to laugh.  
  
"Like what, man?"  
  
*Oh, I don't know, plummeting to a grisly death is pretty high on my list* the boy thought walking out and shaking his head. *Nice guy, _wierd_ but nice*  
  
Wildcat walked out behind him with his faithful Delilah to resume work on the engines.  
  
Kit, for the twentieth time that day, began thinking about the run him and Baloo were taking the next morning. He remembered hitching a ride to the island of Pinasta. He hadn't stayed very long on account of he really didn't like the atmosphere. The government was actually some large corporation that ran all of the island's economic ventures. *Exploited would be the better word* Kit thought remembering the stark contrast between the poor living conditions of the natives and the wealthy landowners and businessmen.  
  
So, the boy really hadn't been surprised when he heard Rebecca cautioning about the ongoing civil war, as she was describing the run Kit and Baloo would have. Kit wasn't sure he liked aiding the corrupt government in getting some trade supplies through the rebel blockade. Rebecca hadn't like the idea very well either, but she argued that one small delivery couldn't take that much away from the rebel's cause and as long as their money is green! Baloo, never one for political commentary, had only been concerned about getting through the tight blockade in one piece. Rebecca had softened him up about this whole business by first, telling him just how much money they were getting and second, by complimenting his piloting skills.  
  
Remembering the whole scene, Kit shook his head. *Tomorrow* he thought, the unease he felt about the flight made worse when he thought about the growing distance between him and Baloo.  
  
He didn't enjoy the thought of having to go on a dangerous mission walking on eggshells around the large bear. For some reason, the knowledge of him and Baloo not getting along as well as they usually did hurt the cub's feelings.  
  
Kit sat down at the end of the pier and watched the sun sink through the cliffs. He couldn't remember a time in his life that he'd enjoyed more than his stay at Higher for Hire. He had enough to eat, more than enough actually since Baloo was convinced that his navigator was too skinny and tried to tempt his appetite with all sorts of junk. He also had a warm place to sleep and was staying with individuals who seemed to want to have him around.  
  
The more Kit thought about the confrontation between him and Baloo at Spango-Bango, the more he realized how right the pilot had been and how wrong his own attitude had always been where the gray bear was concerned. Kit took the new realization that Baloo cared about him, not just the Sea Duck or anything else with new found gratitude, it actually made the boy feel lighter than air.  
  
Already deep in thought, Kit began to examine feelings he at one time had only wanted to tuck away. The cub knew that he would rather have someone looking out for him, even if it meant the loss of some freedom. Freedom, that all too familiar desire with him, was not always everything it was cracked up to be.  
  
*I guess losing some of it is worth it* the boy thought happily, then started when he felt a large paw on his shoulder. He looked up to see Baloo standing over him with a happy grin on his face. *He must have just had some good news* the cub thought.  
  
"Well, kiddo, ready for tomorrow?" Baloo asked, helping Kit to his feet. "I think so Baloo, guess I'll have to be." Kit began walking to the main building of Higher for Hire with Baloo's arm around his shoulders. He was struggling to find the right words to tell Baloo about his previous thoughts, but something in him held him back.  
  
He just wasn't ready to open up so much, not even to the large pilot. Baloo looked like he had something to say as well, but couldn't quite form the words. So both remained silent and let the unspoken emotion between them go unexplained, undefined and without the power to bridge them, for how long, neither knew.  
  
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-July 15, 1936  
  
Rebecca waved at Baloo and Kit as they took off for their run to far-off Pinasta Island. The journey would take quite awhile and Rebecca had run off the list of instructions given to her by their client regarding safety at least five times that morning.  
  
As the yellow plane disappeared through the cliffs, Rebecca felt a chill go through her. Although times were tough and Higher for Hire really needed the money this job would bring, and she wasn't too proud or idealistic to pass by any extra cash source, Rebecca had serious misgivings regarding a job that put her pilot and navigator in danger, and Pinasta Island was a dangerous place to be right now.  
  
She had read about atrocities being committed by both sides of the war that had turned her stomach and had urged Baloo to be careful many times as a result. She had also overheard Baloo talking to Kit about staying close to him at all times when they were making the dropoff. Kit had readily agreed which surprised Rebecca because she knew that the boy was respectful, but didn't like to be told what to do. She had only assumed that the pair's serious conversation had been referring to some previous experience.  
  
For now, however, Rebecca walked back into her office and made herself comfortable by the radio. *Just want to keep all of our options open* she reassured herself, but still not able to shake the foreboding feeling she'd had since accepting this run. *I'm sure everything will be fine*  
  
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Kit and Baloo chatted through the flight, both trying to relax themselves and prepare for the rough experience of visiting the island hot spot.  
  
"Well, Lil' Britches, guess we're gonna have to be ready for any trouble, don't wanna put our bacon in the fire anymore than we have to."  
  
"Yeah, Papa Bear," Kit said and hesitated. Baloo, knowing that something was on the boy's mind waited patiently for him to go on.  
  
"Baloo," Kit finally turned to look at the pilot, "do you feel.....you know.....bad about what we're doing? I mean, those people on Pinasta have a good reason to fight back for what's been done to them." Baloo nodded to show that he was listening.  
  
"I feel like we're taking sides and I don't like the side we're on." Kit concluded staring intently at his friend.  
  
"Well, Kit, what can I tell ya? " the bear took off his cap and scratched his head. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but a job's a job and money's been tight lately." Kit's look of sad puzzlement only became worse at the large bear's statement. Baloo tried another tactic.  
  
"Kid, who are we to be passin' judgement? You can't change some things, Lil' Britches, no matter how hard you try, an' that's a hard fact of life, sure, but it's true."  
  
"So, you're saying that it's okay to help the government because we can't do anything to change the war?" Kit replied, cocking an eyebrow at the gray bear.  
  
"No, no kid, don't take it like that." *Dang! If only that kid's mind wasn't so quick!* Baloo tried one more time.  
  
"Sometimes Kit, it really don't matter what you try and do and how successful you are at doin' it, someone's usually going to show up to make more trouble or cause someone else pain. Unfortunately, the world's like that and I wish I could change it but I can't. It's tough, so we do what we can to make it, right kid?" Here Baloo looked directly at the cub who knew what the pilot was referring to but said nothing.  
  
The flight was a long one, but with time, the Sea Duck, according to the maps ended up passing over the Sea of Lascal, a clear, calm stretch of ocean that appeared a beautiful deep blue with hardly a ripple in sight.  
  
Then both pilot and navigator saw the patch of green that war their destination. "Okay, Lil' Britches," Baloo said leaning closer to see, "keep your eyes peeled. I'm just hoping this will be as _easy_ as our friends down there said it would be." Baloo didn't even attempt to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.  
  
"Where did they say the gap was again, Baloo?" Kit pulled out a map of the island which had markings on it that indicated where the strongest artillery of the blockade was.  
  
"West side, there's been some equipment trouble, otherwise there's not much chance of breakin' through anywhere."  
  
As the Sea Duck flew closer to the western side of the island, Kit could see the mis-matched ships that were near by. A loud boom that resembled the Cape Suzette cliff guns sounded from the one closest to their position, but the tightly-knit fleet had a visible gap where at least three ships should have been and Baloo flew in low as instructed so the artillery, though well-aimed, fell short of it's target.  
  
When the Duck finally docked, Kit and Baloo had to wade through the warm, shallow water to reach the rocky beach, which, unfortunately, looked deserted.  
  
"Hello!" came a far-sounding cry from inside the dense jungle growing very close to the shore. Suddenly, a tall rhino stepped out, flanked by two other serious looking rhinos in uniform. The middle individual looked very out of place wearing a spotless white suit and a brand-new derby.  
  
Baloo took one look at the rhino and drew a conclusion of almost instant dislike. *This fella looks oilier'n most of Wildcat's toolbox*  
  
Kit also felt a faint sense of mistrust. Being on his own for so long, he'd become very good at weighing out the pluses and minuses of someone's character just by expression, dress and such. It was an invaluable trait for an orphan.  
  
"You must be Baloo, I spoke to your boss, Rebecca Cunningham, I'm the one who set up this deal. Name's Kurnz, I'm the manager of outpost seven on Pinasta. Our financial situation there has been much worse since this little up-start with the natives." The manager's tone was friendly enough, but the smug and superior undertone in it was grating to Baloo's ears.  
  
Kit, too, noticed that Kurnz didn't offer to shake Baloo's hand and remained standing a little distance away from them. The boy also noticed that his two..bodyguards? made no motion whatsoever to leave or relax their rigid stance.  
  
*Okaaay* the cub thought, *things must be worse off here than the papers say.*  
  
"Yeah, I'm her pilot and this is....."  
  
"Ah, very good," Kurnz cut Baloo off mid-sentence, "so you're ready to recieve the shipment?" The bear scowled, this guy was in way too big of a hurry. *Bunch of tight-fisted, stuff-shirts* he thought disgustedly.  
  
"Ready as ever." the pilot said simply.  
  
"Good, follow me, quickly please." and with that, Kurnz started walking down a small path so rapidly, Kit and Baloo nearly had to jog to keep up.  
  
*What's this guy in such a hurry for?* Kit wondered struggling to keep up.  
  
As they went, Kit noticed that some parts of the jungle, quite a few parts to be honest, were miserable to look at. Many areas had been cleared away with only tree stumps to show what had existed before. In other places, the trees looked discolored, had missing leaves or no leaves at all and some had bark stripped off. Many parts looked burnt and desolate.  
  
*Boy, this place is a regular paradise. No wonder the natives don't want them here* Kit thought, once again feeling guilty for being party to helping these people.  
  
Finally, after much huffing and puffing from Baloo, they arrived at a dirty, beat-up shack with some rickety looking sheds around it. There was rusted machinery and other such junk everywhere and several tired-looking individuals wearing the government standard khaki uniforms lounging around. For such an important pickup, no one seemed to be doing anything important or constructive.  
  
"Come on, over here, no dawdling." If possible, Kurnz was becoming more and more apprehensive with each minute.  
  
With growing alarm, Baloo saw the two guards holding two very nasty-looking rifles and looking around uneasily. *What in blue blazes is this three ring circus?* the bear thought with mounting agitation and unconsciously put an arm around Kit's shoulders. The boy, in response, stepped closer to the pilot and both waited as several employees began to carry out some crates.  
  
To both Baloo and Kit's great surprise, there were only about five of them. *So much for the big times* Baloo thought. Kit was wondering what could be in them to cause Kurnz and his friends to become so jumpy. His quick mind immediately thought up some possibilities and none of them were pleasant.  
  
"Alright, time to load up, back this way." Kurnz was already up and running down the trail followed by the employees carrying the crates.  
  
"What! Wait, hold up, where's the fire? Can't me an' my partner here stop to catch our breaths for five minutes?" the gray bear looked none too happy with this strange operation and Kit was definitely in agreement with his friend. *Something's not right* Kit thought, * Things are too tense around here.*  
  
Kurnz turned to look at Baloo, "My company is paying you to fly some valuable cargo out of this hellhole, not to stand around wasting our time. As for your _partner_," Kurnz sneered the word and looked at Kit for the first time, "I doubt if you or he would understand the importance of leaving here as soon as possible. I also question your judgement at bringing a child into a warzone. Don't they have babysitters in Cape Suzette?"  
  
Baloo made an unintelligible sound and took a step toward Kurnz. The guards lowered their guns. Although Kit was fuming, seeing the dangerous weapons pointed at his closest friend moved him to grab Baloo's arm in an attempt to calm him down. "Come on, Papa Bear, let's just get out of here."  
  
Baloo patted the boy on the head and gave him a small, grateful smile. "Sure Kit, this place is givin' me the willies, anyway." Both shot a dirty look at the dandified manager who was way ahead of them on the path.  
  
If possible, the island's interior looked even worse walking through it a second time. Kit shook his head in disgust. *So much for progress* he thought bitterly when the small group reached the beach.  
  
The Sea Duck was still bobbing slightly with each wave as Baloo opened the cargo hatch and Kurnz's lackeys loaded the crates inside. Kit was unsettled by the overwhelming stillness. No animal or bird sounds, no wind through the trees, even the faint artillery sounds they'd heard as they'd landed here had stopped. It was eerily silent.  
  
Kurnz took one more anxious look around before motioning to his companions. "Remember, get the cargo out of here at any cost. No delivery, no paycheck." and the unpleasant manager disappeared back down the trail.  
  
"Well that was a hoot an' a half." Baloo shook his head and joined his navigator back on the beach. "Sure is quiet, huh Lil' Britches?" So, Baloo had noticed the disturbing silence as well. "This place is a regular dreamboat, and how 'bout that Kurnz guy? He was one crate short of a haul, huh Kit-boy?"  
  
But Kit was too busy looking down the left side of the beach to reply. What he saw did nothing to improve his mood. "Uh, Baloo, I think we should get out of here."  
  
"What for, Lil' Britches? 'Ol Baloo needs just two more minutes of relaxation." The bear was sitting on the warm sand and didn't notice the urgency in the cub's voice.  
  
"No, Baloo, I mean we need to leave, pull chocks, whatever, _right now!_" and Kit pointed to a large object moving surprisingly fast up the coast towards the sea-plane. "Is that a gun-boat?"  
  
Baloo didn't even stop to answer as he jumped to his feet, picked Kit up and dashed though the surf to climb into the cockpit. With eye-blurring speed, he started the engines and the Sea Duck began to gain speed just as the first teeth-jarring boom sounded and a large splash rocked the yellow plane.  
  
"They _knew_ an attack was coming!" Kit yelled in anger as Baloo tried desperately to perform a takeoff amidst the bombardment. Two more booms sounded just as the Duck achieved liftoff and two more huge splashes barely missed them.  
  
"I don't think they're planning on missing again, Baloo." Kit said, peering out the window to see their attacker.  
  
"Tell me about it, kiddo. We'll be outta here before they get the chance though." *I hope* the bear's forehead was covered with sweat as the Sea Duck gained altitude with agonizing slowness. A loud boom and then a prolonged cracking sound caused the pilot and navigator to look at each other with a combined, "Uh Oh!"  
  
Baloo looked out the window and, in horror, saw one of the engines burst into flames. He could see fragments of the shell in the engine and wing and could hear the ongoing cracking as the engine literally fell apart. More booms sounded close to the cockpit and Kit saw two other boats join the first.  
  
*I think we're in trouble* was Kit's main thought as the cub saw the engine burst into flames as well. The navigator of the Sea Duck made some quick decisions.  
  
They were still low enough for there to be minimum danger if he tried to climb out and put the fire out. He was used to traveling anywhere on a plane, be it inside or outside. Besides, if that fire hit the gas tanks the pair would have understated _big_ problems. That did it for Kit.  
  
He jumped out of his seat and ran into the cargo hold to grab the fire extinguisher. "Kit, get back here!" Baloo yelled struggling to control the faltering plane. Explosions were going off all around the plane when another finally hit it's target.  
  
Kit felt the floor slide out from underneath his feet as the sea-plane was literally flipped over. Then his head came into contact with the wall and he knew no more.  
  
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*Silence again, I really hate how quiet this place always it* was Kit's first thought as he came back to painful consciousness. There was something wet on his forehead and, suddenly remembering the events of the crash, he was pretty sure they had crashed after that last hit, Kit stood up and banged his head on the upper cot.  
  
"Ow!" he leaned back again.  
  
"Kit, lay still!" the gray bear leaned over him with concern on his face and placed a large paw on the boy's sore forehead. Kit just looked at him ruefully and Baloo, convinced the cub seemed alright, released a huge breath, sat down at the end of the cot and took of his cap.  
  
"Lil' Britches, don't ever do that again! What if one of those shells had gone through the hull?"  
  
"Sorry, Baloo," Kit attempted to sit up again and winced, "believe me, I'm sorry." The pilot helped him to a sitting position and started to chuckle.  
  
"Some bump ya got there, kiddo. Guess you finally had some sense knocked into you, huh?"  
  
"Very funny, Papa Bear. What happened? Are we in the ocean? How's the plane?"  
  
"The Duck's seen better, Kit-boy, she sure can take a liking though. All I'm really worried about is that engine. The water put the flames out, but she's gonna need some major repairs and I'm not relishing spendin' any more time here."  
  
"What about those ships, Baloo? Obviously they wanted to stop us, so where are they?" Both bears stopped for a moment to listen but all they heard was the sea lapping against the side of the plane.  
  
"Stay put, kiddo, while I see what's going on." Baloo gently pushed Kit down on the cot and walked into the cockpit.  
  
Kit lay there for a minute and listened to Baloo's footsteps on top of the sea-plane. He then heard, with alarm, more sounds coming from outside, garbled voices and more hollow, resounding footsteps. Then he heard Baloo's angry voice loud and clear.  
  
"I don't _care_ how necessary you over-grown pygmies thought it was, look what's happened to my baby! Not to mention that there's a kid in there with me! Whatever happened to innocent bystanders?"  
  
Kit, by this time was in the cockpit, climbing out the window to the top of the Sea Duck. The three ships he had seen earlier were close by, with a small motorboat located next to the bobbing plane. Half of the Duck, it seemed, was covered with soot and was banged up, not to mention the useless excuse for an engine.  
  
*Sure wish Wildcat was here* Kit thought wincing. Baloo ws standing next to three lizards in unfamiliar military uniforms. *Here come the natives* Kit walked over to the pilot who was surveying the damage as the other three glared at the large bear with their arms folded.  
  
"How bad do you think it is, Papa Bear?" Kit kneeled down to look closer.  
  
"Don't know Kit." Baloo glanced quickly at his navigator, "I thought I told ya to stay in the Duck! Oh, never mind." "How's yer head?"  
  
"Feeling better, what do they want?" Kit indicated the others still standing to the side, silent.  
  
"Really don't know, kid, but they said all of this was _necessary_, whatever that means." "Oh, boy.....where's Wildcat when I need him?" Baloo echoed Kit's earlier thought with a groan.  
  
Then, to both of their surprise, Kit felt himself being picked up by his sweater by one of the lizards. "Hey!!" Baloo said angrily, "Whatdya think you're doin'? Put him down.....now!"  
  
The soldier ignored Baloo and handed a struggling Kit to the other two, who, still holding the boy, began to descend back down to their small boat. Baloo, not about to sit by idly through this and with growing alarm, started to follow the three.  
  
"I said stop! Come back here.....hey!!"  
  
Kit was still kicking at the two lizards when the motor started. One yelled back at Baloo who was descending as quickly as he could. "You, pilot, stay here. A new boat's coming." the lizard spoke relatively good English "The boy comes with us until we get your cargo, you just make sure we do."  
  
"What!?" Kit and Baloo said simultaneously.  
  
"You heard, one stop closer could have serious implications." The largest soldier who had Kit held him up easily. Kit met Baloo's gaze with an expression of complete confusion, Baloo stared back with concern.  
  
"Look," the bear yelled, " if you want this cargo you can have it, just hand the kid back over." Baloo's voice had taken on a tone of urgency. "I don't have any loyalties to that slime, Kurnz, we don't have to do this. Just take the crates and go, I wish I'd never seen 'em anyway."  
  
The ringleader made no indication of having hear and simply shouted back to Baloo. "Next boat, then you'll see. One more warning, I would co-operate. We don't take kindly to mercenaries and we aren't afraid to make an important example here." Kit met Baloo's gaze one more time before the boat started heading towards on the larger ships.  
  
Kit was more angry than frightened at this point and remembered bitterly how he had felt guilty for aiding the effort against these people. *They deserve each other* the boy thought in fury as he glared at the huge soldier who was still holding onto him.  
  
"Do you _suppose_ at your earliest _convenience_ that you could possibly let go? I don't think there's anywhere I can go." the cub spat out, his words dripping sarcasm.  
  
The three soldiers looked at each other for a moment, but only the ringleader replied. "Keep your mouth shut, boy! Our fight's not with you. Just wait a few hours and don't bother us, then you'll see the bear again." The mention of Baloo drove a sharp jab of worry through Kit.  
  
"They're not going to do anything are they? Baloo's harmless, none of this was his idea."  
  
"Quiet," the ringleader snapped as the small motor boat reached it's much larger companion. The largest lizard, who had not even slightly released his hold on the boy followed the other two onto the deck, through a hallway and came to a small door. Without saying a word, he pushed Kit into the empty room harshly and slammed the door, locking it behind him.  
  
*Great, just peachy. How many other times am I going to be in on causing Baloo problems?* with that thought the boy again felt worry for the large pilot and with a resolved look on his face, began to scour the room, looking for a way out. *There's always another way out,* the cub reminded himself, *and sooner or later, I always find it.*  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Baloo had been pacing on the top of the Sea Duck for some time. He was intelligent enough to know that the soldier's threat was valid, which frightened him and angry enough to swim after the boat with Kit in it right now.  
  
*Wait 'till I get my hands on those slimy salamanders. Wait 'till I get my hands on Becky! No more runs for this bear, no sir. When I get Kit back, We're headin' to the farthest port away from this eyesore and we're stayin' put.*  
  
Finally, after what seemed lilke an eternity, Baloo heard the familiar drone of another engine and saw a speedboat carrying three figures heading towards the sea-plane. When they had secured their boat, they motioned to Baloo, who immediately climbed down and jumped into the small craft, which rocked with the large bear's entrance. The other three held on and gave the pilot a nasty look.  
  
"Alright" Baloo said, his temper having long since reached boiling point, "who are you? Where's Kit and why is all of this happening?" the grey bear stopped firing questions and glared at the others. A tall, scholarly- looking leopard stood up, took out a pair of glasses, cleaned them on his shirt and peered at Baloo.  
  
"I'm afraid, sir, that you and the boy have become involved in our little dust-up."  
  
"Get to the point, mister. I asked you some questions and I want 'em answered. Now!" Baloo stood over the leopard who didn't even appear slightly intimidated by the much larger pilot's menacing stance.  
  
He sighed loudly and looked at Baloo as though he was a very stupid child. "Alright, you probably deserve to hear an explanation."  
  
"Oh well, thanks so much." Baloo said sarcastically but stopped when the leopard looked at him again.  
  
"The cargo you have in your plane, sir, belongs to the people of this island. The ATS corporation,who supposedly runs things here, signed an agreement with these people," he motioned to the dour-looking soldiers beside him, "not to mine or destroy two sacred spots on Pinasta. ATS, of course, signed without knowing what was there and were very much surprised when some diamond deposits were found located conveniently in one of these religious areas." "They declared the agreement null and void and immediately began mining there."  
  
"Yeah, so, what's that got to do with me?" Baloo asked still very confused.  
  
"Well, before they could get most of the diamonds out, the people here finally revolted and the result is the war you see now." "Unfortunately, one outpost managed to mine some out and had them hidden away, waiting for the right chance to ship them out."  
  
A sudden flash of insight hit Baloo. "That bein' outpost seven, maybe?"  
  
The leopard gave him a small smile. "Exactly, those crates you have in there are filled with them." Baloo let out a low whistle.  
  
"But wait, that don't explain why those guys earlier didn't just take the cargo back. I don't want it, I just want to get Kit and get outta here."  
  
Again, that small smile. "Hmmm, obviously you haven't studied about these people's religious practices." The blank look Baloo gave him said enough.  
  
"When something, anything, is taken from these lands without the proper tribal authorities present, then these people believe that they, their ancestors and their home will be cursed." "They also believe that they will be cursed if someone from the tribe attempts to return it themselves, after the object has been tainted. So, an individual who has no blood ties or connections to them must return it."  
  
"And since your buddy Kurnz ain't likely to return 'em, that means I've been volunteered?" Baloo was now, if possible, angrier than before. "What you're really tellin' me is because of some island mumbo-jumbo these guys nearly kill me and my navigator, damage my plane and kidnap my best friend and then expect me to go back to that place to help them?" he stopped breathing hard and stepped back.  
  
"Do you really believe all of this? You don't look like one of them." Baloo asked looking quizzically at the serious-faced leopard.  
  
"Not believe, no, simply respect all of this, as you say. My name is Professor Ewing and I've been living with these people for ongoing eight years now." "I apologize for the treatment of your friend, but these people are simply not used to outsiders keeping there word and they've been watching you since you first landed here. They concluded that the only way to get you to help was to use the boy for insurance."  
  
"There wasn't any kind of equipment failure, was there?" "These guys were just waiting for some sucker to fly in an' I've been played like a fiddle this whole time." Baloo clenched his fists in fury.  
  
"Very perceptive, now, I advise you to come with us. The sooner the task is completed, the sooner you'll be able to see the boy." It seemed to Baloo that whenever the Professor mentioned Kit, he turned away, not making eye-contact with the pilot. *He feels guilty* Baloo thought, *good, is he's lucky, that's all he'll feel*  
  
Throughout the entire explanation the two other soldiers signalled to the nearby gunboat. When the ship had pulled up, several uniformed figures were attempting to hitch the nose of the Sea Duck. The speedboat pulled to the side of the massive boat.  
  
Baloo, Prof. Ewing and the two others came aboard. The Professor looked at Baloo. "This is where I leave you to our local, _doctor_," he coughed slightly on the word and grinned, "the boy will be fine, you'll see him when the diamonds are returned. These soldiers here will start repairs on your plane and replace your engine."  
  
Baloo looked at the leopard in disbelief, "The Duck's totalled, mister, it'll take days with an expert mechanic, not...." Baloo didn't finish the sentence but pointed to the figures moving everywhere.  
  
"Don't always be so quick to judge my friend," the Professor said, looking sideways at Baloo, "you really don't think it's by accident that we have all of this? Even though ATS has money, we have manpower and something else more important than that. I suggest you don't forget that we have a cause, and the side with a cause nearly _always_ finds a way to achieve victory." With the same small, tight smile the leopard climbed back down into the speedboat and left.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Kit had gone through his options one by one and had come to the unpleasant conclusion that his best escape route was through the small knothole, the only window in the tiny room.  
  
Kit grimaced, he was a good swimmer, true, but to plunge such a long way into rough waters when he wasn't even sure how far from shore he was, wasn't the most pleasant idea that Kit had had come to him.  
  
His mind kept wondering about Baloo. The cub fervently hoped the pilot was alright, but he wasn't about to be a victim or a pawn to these creeps. Bad escape or not, the boy was determined to take it.  
  
With surprisingly little effort, Kit managed to manuever himself through the small hole, gulped when he saw how far up he was and waited to take the dive, mentally preparing himself beforehand.  
  
*I hope I never have to do this again* the cub thought, *at least not without a rope, talk about working without a net* Kit closed his eyes and....felt himself being pulled back inside.  
  
Unfortunately, the boy realized it was easier to go out the window than to come back in through it. He glared at the two soldiers who towered above him.  
  
"What? Haven't you ever heard of fresh air?" Kit stood up and crossed his arms to gaze unconcernedly, (he hoped) at them. The hard stare he recieved told him that they weren't buying it.  
  
"You're going to the island, this way." Kit hesitated, looked at the still open window, then decided against it, not really wanting to break his neck if he didn't have to.  
  
"Gee, I'd love to and I'm sure glad I have a say....hey!" Kit exclaimed as the larger of the two picked him up by the neck of his sweater. *The next adult to pick me up like that..* Kit didn't finish his dark thought but let his emotions boil as all three headed outside and into a smaller boat. They traveled in silence until the boat had reached the beach, then the large soldier once again moved to hoist Kit up.  
  
The boy was faster this time, however, and dodged him, jumping out of the boat and into the surf, only to find himself being tackled by the other soldier.  
  
"Fine," the boy glared at him, "I'll go, but I can walk!" Shrugging, the soldier pushed him ahead through the dense foliage. They hadn't gone very far when they arrived at a large, weather-beaten building that looked none too secure.  
  
Again, the three walked through several hallways until coming to a room, they then left Kit standing in the middle of it and locked the door.  
  
*Swell* the cub thought disgustedly, *no windows, that porthole is starting to look better and better* He sighed and once again began the task of examining yet another room.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
The building Baloo was led into looked like it had seen better days. *Like maybe a century ago*, the pilot thought warily looking at the ceiling. He stood on a large open deck with the ever-present soldiers and waited. A few minutes passed before one of the strangest looking individuals Baloo had ever seen walked through the door.  
  
Instead of the uniforms that all of the other natives wore, this guy was wearing the loudest Hawaiian print the bear had ever seen. He looked like some sort of antelope with two intricate horns on his head, large thick glasses that made his eyes look three times their normal size and tatoo- markings all over the rest of him.  
  
"Hidee-ho! You're the pilot, great, fabulous, wonderful, yeah! All ready, huh? Too bad that I'm not," and the doctor began laughing in a high- pitched giggle that lasted much longer than it should have.  
  
Baloo, for once, was at a loss for words. *This guy can't be for real* the bear had to fight off the urge to double over laughing. *This is the all-powerful medicine man?*  
  
"Got the sparklies? Great, wonderful, grand, let's go!"  
  
"Um..." Baloo wasn't sure what to say to the odd....whatever walking in front of him. "What exactly do I have to do?"  
  
"Do! Do! Everything, anything, absolutely nothing, it's wonderful, amazing, terrific! Hand-to-hand combat, killer swamps, fires, dodging bullets, walking through land mines, scaling mountains, treading through scorching deserts, crawling on hot coals, being subjugated to loud music, having your teeth pulled out and.....of course," the out of breath doctor shuddered, "delivering strawberries.....Eww! Strawberries."  
  
"In one day! You've gotta be kidding me" the gray bear looked at the doctor with an incredulous look on his face.  
  
"Yep, but wouldn't it be great if I wasn't?"  
  
"Great, wonderful, grand" Baloo said, mimicking the doctor. *This guy must've looked at the sun too long*  
  
The doctor looked thoughtful, "Let's see, we hit the trail, well, we don't actually hit it because it never did anything to us, you know, but I think we should go tomorrow, wonderful, terrific, great, okay, yeah!"  
  
"Wait!" Baloo stopped the antelope before he hurt himself. "Where's Kit? Is he alright?"  
  
"The kid's great, grand, super...:  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Baloo cut in before the doctor could go on, (and who knew for how long he _could_) "But can I see him?" The pilot, throughout the bizarre conversation kept feeling the same nagging worry for his navigator.  
  
"Sorry, diamonds tomorrow, then the boy. Then everything will be grand, wonderful, fantastic...." the doctor trailed off still muttering adjectives as Baloo slumped down in a chair, slapped his hand over his eyes and shook his head wearily.  
  
Baloo was still in the chair, several hours after the doctor and his companions had left the room. Although bone-tired, the large bear's imagination kept plaguing him, conjuring up ideas about Kit. It was like his horrible experience in Spango-Bango, he knew the boy could be in serious trouble but was at a loss for what to do and any thought of Kit being hurt or in pain caused the bear's chest to tighten making it hard for him to breathe or focus. As long as the rebels had the cub, Baloo felt paralyzed. His nerves near breaking point, the gray bear almost jumped out of his skin when he felt someone tap him.  
  
"Oh, it's you. What do your buddies want now? I thought we were leavin' in the morning."  
  
The Professor sighed and pointed to a single uniformed figure. "Just follow him, alright? And try to keep your voice down." Then, under his breath, he muttered, "I knew this was a bad idea in the first place" and then turned down the corridor to find one, specific door.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Kit felt like screaming in frustration. He had covered every square inch of the room and although it looked old and worn-down, it was actually very secure. In the darkness, Kit knelt down to the only real outlet in the room, a crack at the bottom of the door. The cub was just about to over escape possibilities for the fifteenth time when a light appeared, and several footsteps made their way to the door.  
  
Kit, exhausted, decided to try asking one more time why he was here and what was going on. A leopard wearing civilian clothes walked through with one guard.  
  
"Alright, this is the right kid, good job, I'll relieve you now." and made a shooing motion with his hand. The guard walked out and Kit looked at the leopard suspiciously.  
  
"Where's Baloo?" was the first thing the boy said, anger in his voice. The leopard looked at him blankly. "You know, the pilot, big gray bear, guy who has nothing to do with all of this? Where is he? Is he okay?"  
  
"Your friend is fine, follow me."  
  
"No! I'm not budging until you tell me what's going on." *I can't believe I said that* Kit thought, realizing his choice of words.  
  
"You want to stay here? Alright, fine by me." But Kit was already following him out, deciding that he preferred relative freedom to a reasonable explanation. He followed the leopard outside, they walked for awhile until coming to a small clearing.  
  
Standing in the clearing was a large, familiar figure scratching his head in confusion.  
  
Kit's heart jumped, "Baloo!" and looked around the leopard to run over to the bear who quickly had the boy in a tight hug. The leopard's stance didn't change but a small smile crossed his face.  
  
"Great to see ya, kid! Let me look at you." Baloo peered at the cub and mussed his hair through the baseball cap.  
  
"You too, Baloo, I, uh, guess I was worried Papa Bear." Kit was still in a state of complete confusion, but was relieved to see the pilot again.  
  
"Well, I'm fine, kiddo, how 'bout you?" "Fine Baloo" The bear hugged Kit again, a huge smile coming over his face, then he turned to the leopard.  
  
"Hey, Professor, what's the deal? I mean, I'm grateful to ya," he put his arm around Kit protectively, "real grateful, but I thought you were on those uglies side."  
  
"I'm not on anyone's side, Baloo. I just decided that I don't like this hostage tactic. These people don't want to hurt anyone, they just want to protect their culture. I decided that if we went through with this," he pointed at Kit, "we'd be no better than ATS."  
  
"I just hope all your pals see it the same way."  
  
"Oh, they will, especially after you return the diamonds."  
  
"Excuse me?" Baloo said and held his hand up to Kit, who looked ready to explode if someone didn't tell him what was going on.  
  
"Sure, remember, I told you I respect their beliefs, not their means of getting what they want. Just return them, _here_" and the Professor pointed to a spot on a small map he held, then gave the map to the large bear.  
  
"The crates have already been taken to the edge of the land where they need to be returned, just follow these instructions when you get there and you'll be fine." He again pointed, this time to some scrawled writing on the back of the map.  
  
"At the risk of soundin' selfish, what if I refuse?"  
  
"Well, we still have your plane, which I'm guessing is about your only way out , I wouldn't expect any help from Kurnz or his lackeys either. Our forces overran outpost seven, oh, I'd say forty minutes ago." the leopard calmly looked at his watch. "Also, I recommend you just humor us with this. It's a pretty easy task, the doctor will be there to oversee and to help."  
  
"Oh, you an' that crackpot are in cahoots I see, well...." The leopard raised his eyebrows at Baloo's interruption and the bear shut his mouth.  
  
"He's strange, but these people hold him in the highest regard as a medicine man."  
  
"Doesn't say much for them" Baloo muttered under his breath.  
  
"Anyway, you'll be doing us a great service. ATS has spent too much money and has overextended itself with this war. Those diamonds were one of their last hopes for any profit. We're hoping they'll tuck their tails between their legs and leave here in peace."  
  
"You really believe they will, after everything that's happened?" Kit said quickly, glad to get a word in edgewise.  
  
The Professor looked at Kit sadly. "No, my boy, I don't. Here's hoping, though. Finish the task and I won't blow the whistle on you two, and your plane will be docked where you originally landed."  
  
"Where all the fun started" Baloo said, once again under his breath.  
  
"Farewell," and with that, the aloof Professor stepped back through the jungle with almost no noise to show that he was there.  
  
All Kit had to do was fold his arms and give Baloo a _look_ for the pilot to quietly explain what he'd been told. After finally coming to an understanding with everything, Kit grinned at Baloo.  
  
"So, I guess it's kind of an honor, huh, Papa Bear?" the cub was having a hard time controlling his merriment.  
  
"One I could do without, Lil' Britches, here, take a look at this thing and see if you can make heads or tails of it." the bear handed the map to his navigator who stared at it intently for a moment.  
  
"If this is our current position, then I'm guessing we go....that way," Kit pointed and took off, scrambling noisily through the jungle. Baloo shook his head, *May as well get this over with.*  
  
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The trail hand't been the easiest to follow, but with help from Kit's excellent sense of direction, both pilot and navigator reached the spot of land they were seeking by dawn. It didn't seem much different, but Kit noticed some small changes. Such as the trees were growing intact and the foliage was green and covered most of the ground. The boy also heard the first animal and bird noises since coming to Pinasta.  
  
*So that's why it's sacred.* Kit smiled appreciatively, glad that a small part of the island's beauty had been preserved. The stillness of the early morning scene was suddenly shattered by a drawn-out, "Helooo there."  
  
"Oh no," Baloo began backing up, "I recognize that voice."  
  
The doctor then broke through the bushes to run at breakneck speed towards the pair, stopping inches away from a collision.  
  
"Made it, huh? Terrific, super, great, wonderful, follow me!"  
  
Kit just looked at Baloo, whose expression said more than words ever could. Then both started to follow the hyperactive tribesman.  
  
The five crates stood stacked by a large tree. Kit looked at them differently now that he knew what was in them, but the peacefulness and beauty of this place made him glad that they were restoring it. *Besides* Kit thought with a smirk, *I'll never let Baloo live it down*  
  
"So, doc, what do we gotta do?" Baloo asked.  
  
But the doctor was already opening the crates and putting the diamonds into a large hole, freshly dug a short distance away. There was literally mounds of the sparkling fortune.  
  
Kit and Baloo stared open-mouthed for a moment, then Kit grinned, walked over to one crate and started dumping them also.  
  
*I can't believe I'm doing this* Baloo shook his head and joined Kit, whose eyes were dancing with laughter as he and the doctor threw handfuls of the gorgeous stones back.  
  
*Well, this is something I can say I'll probably never do again.*  
  
Kit seemed to catch onto the pilot's thought. "Money to burn, right Papa Bear?" he said giggling.  
  
"Right Kit-boy" Baloo noticed suddenly how much younger Kit looked when he laughed. *He doesn't do it enough* the gray bear smiled at the boy, patted his shoulder and continued to set things right for the people of Pinasta.  
  
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Professor Ewing was as good as his word, Baloo whistled when he saw the shape his once bomabarded plane was in. Now, he was thankful that his navigator was beside him, they were both safe and no one was going to be hearing anything about ATS bothering the natives of Pinasta for a long time, if ever.  
  
*Guess bankruptcy just does somethin' to the company's morale* Baloo thought smiling.  
  
Kit was in his own world, staring out of the window, a small smile on his face. "Whatcha thinkin' of, Lil' Britches?" Baloo asked the cub, wanting to get rid of the heavy silence in the cockpit.  
  
"Nothing much Papa Bear, just how me and you always seem to get mixed up in some kind of trouble." The large bear chuckled. "Looks that way, kiddo! Guess we're just bound for adventures, huh?" he smiled at the boy, a great deal of happiness of his face.  
  
Kit smiled back at him, only wanting to be right there, in that moment. "What did Ms. Cunningham say when you radioed her, Baloo?"  
  
"I don't think she believed me, Lil' Britches, but at least she didn't yell that much. Guess Beckers has a conscious just like the rest of us after all."  
  
"I don't know, Baloo. I actually really like her and.....I think you do too, not that it's really any of my business." Again, Baloo chuckled at the boy's teasing tone.  
  
"Guilty as charged, kiddo, but I can't let on that I'm gettin' soft, she'd work me into an early grave." Kit just smiled and shook his head.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
July 19, 1936-  
  
Despite the fact that he had slept to early afternoon, Baloo walked down the steps of Higher for Hire, yawning and feeling half-asleep. Kit didn't look much better as he sat lightly dozing in the armchair. Both had not arrived back until the wee hours of the morning and exhaustion was prevalent on both the pilot and naviator's faces.  
  
Baloo leaned over Kit and gently shook his shoulder. "Hey, Kit-boy, why don't you go on back to bed. Becky's not coming in today, said we needed our shut-eye, an' for once, I'm in agreement."  
  
When Kit didn't respond, Baloo pulled out an old blanket from under the stairs and placed it over the cub. As he turned to walk outside, though, he heard Kit yawn.  
  
"Morning, Papa Bear." the boy looked at Baloo drowsily.  
  
"More like afternoon Kit, why don't you get some more sleep?"  
  
"No, I'm fine." Kit was slowly becoming more alert. "But I think I'll wait before going anywhere or doing anything like that again."  
  
Baloo smiled, "Yeah, but I don't think this'll be a regular thing. Y'know, the cargo business, boring stuff. But man, kid, what I wouldn't give for just one of those sparklers we took care of. Buy back the Sea Duck in a blink.  
  
"Yeah, there sure were alot of them, I bet just one could buy a whole squadron of planes!" Kit exclaimed, looking excited at just the thought.  
  
"Well, Kit, when we strike it rich one of these days, I'll give you one for your birthday. If I'm lucky, I'll do it when you turn 12. Sympathy present for my aging navigator." Baloo said jokingly, then turned to walk out. Something, however, stopped him where he stood.  
  
Kit was staring at the floor and looked completely dejected. Baloo, unsure of what had happened, cautiously stepped in front of the boy.  
  
"Uh.....did I say somethin' wrong, kid?" Kit mumbled something and continued looking down.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I said, I don't know when my birthday is" Kit said softly.  
  
Baloo was confused for a moment, then full realization hit him hard. "But....I thought you said you're gonna be 12 soon....you really don't..." and stopped, not knowing how to go on.  
  
"It's because I'm an orphan." Kit said sadly and looked at Baloo, large tears in his eyes.  
  
Baloo had a tight knot in his throat, making it hard for him to swallow. All of the fear, feelings, doubts, joy and anxiety he had felt since meeting this boy took the form of a very important reply.  
  
"Well, kid, I don't know if you ever celebrated one before, but to me, any day you start over, have another chance or stumble onto somethin' better is like a birthday, so if you want, an' only if you really want to, we can celebrate it today."  
  
Kit looked at the bear, tears sliding down his cheeks. "Just one problem, Lil' Britches. You're gonna have to wait a day or two for me to get you something, so don't be disappointed."  
  
Kit knew the large pilot was joking, but the boy's heart felt filled to the brim and finally, he released the emotions and thoughts usually kept safe inside.  
  
"Papa Bear, what _haven't_ you given me already?" Baloo was now too emotional to say anything and so he simply pulled Kit into a tight embrace.  
  
Once again, silence filled the space the two occupied, but now the only feeling that hung in the air was one of love. Finally Baloo released the cub and messed up his hair.  
  
"So, when exactly do I get my present, Baloo?" Kit said, a mischevious smile on his face.  
  
Baloo threw back his head, laughing and then said something that had been on his mind ever since a waif of a bear cub had asked him for a ride over a month ago. "Good things come to those who wait, Kit."  
  
-The Beginning 


End file.
